Notification and alert method for wearable and/or other devices

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for delivering alerts, notifications and messages, to and, if configured, responses from one to many users wearing technology designed for single and/or multiple media types, utilizing one to many non-primary communication pathways enabled are contemplated in which (a) a primary communication channel pathway, (b) a primary or non-primary control channel(s) is established, by wireless receiver and/or wired connection to a group of users, that (b) then allows an activation method type to provide an alert/notification/message method to one-to-many persons (i.e., users) and/or, one-to-many devices in an addressable manner that establishes a non-primary communication channel path that is parallel and unknown to the primary communication channel path. The overall method consists of a router function and media delivery routing technology) that are actively listening on a primary communication/control pathway or a non-primary control channel.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. No. 17/014,367, filed on Sep. 8, 2020, whichclaims priority from and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 16/791,565, filed on Feb. 14, 2020, which claims priority fromand is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/168,109, filed onOct. 23, 2018, which claims priority from and is a continuation-in-partof U.S. application Ser. No. 15/407,522, filed on Jan. 17, 2017, whichclaims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/279,768, filedon Jan. 17, 2016, which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No.14/251,454, filed on Apr. 11, 2014, which claims priority from U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/810,712, filed on Apr. 11, 2013.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The field of the invention is devices and methods for personal or groupalert, notification and messaging and/or device-based alert,notification and messaging.

Background of the Invention

With today's advanced technologies, one can actually be integrated withother people in a community on-line via the Internet or by Local AreaNetwork (LAN), yet still be isolated from basic security and/ornotification, alerts and messaging, for example, a fire and smokedetector alarm in a home. Further, take the example of a ‘gaming’ PCapplication. While a person or a group of people are playing a game,like the X-Box™ by Microsoft®, they are probably all wearing some typeof headphones for optimal game experience (wired or wireless) andwatching a flat panel-type TV screen with game graphics—and fullyabsorbed and oblivious to the surroundings due to advanced soundproofing, noise cancellation and other features in today's headsets.However, the efficiency of the headphones to (a) reduce external soundvia the earmuff or inset design and (b) optimize the hearing performancefor game interaction, make external communication with any particularuser practically impossible by any distance other than a few feet, andwould certainly muffle even fire and smoke detector alarms. A far morepractical example, though, is a simple notification of a parent callingto a child, or a spouse to their significant other, who is a member ofthat group of networked players, that dinner is ready (note thatnotifications could also be informational, or entertaining in nature,i.e., a tweet, etc., or a message)—a person delivering the communicationmay have to literally tap the person on the shoulder, perhaps having togo up/down a flight of stairs to accomplish this. And, if this isrepeated night after night, then a solution is needed. Further, a usermay not want to interrupt the game play if the audio feed is on a sharedprimary channel, as this innocuous alert would not be courteous to otherplayers, if the alert was simply to come upstairs for dinner. In thatcase, a specific player's headset would need to be addressable to switchto a non-primary channel. This concept, of non-primary channels, thenopens up the availability of game players to communicate on anon-primary communication channel(s) to their teammates to disclosespecific advantages of strategic game movement by means of voice or textdelivered by other than the shared primary channel that is available toall users. It also allows users for opening “sub-channels,” which allowcommunication with several groups at once without said groupsinteracting with each other.

Application US2016330538 by Eskenas, titled Audio Interrupter AlertnessDevice for Headphones, attempts to solve some of the problems recitedabove. Eskenas discloses an audio interrupter device that interfacesbetween an audio source and headphones to momentarily stop soundtransmission to alert the user of an external sound above a threshold.However, this method does not perform encoding and decoding of data intoan alert, notification or message to communicate through a non-primarychannel; that is, its method does not anticipate having processorsand/or functions that process commands, and then directly passtext-to-speech or allow live text feeds to be interpreted and thenbroadcasted as voice, text, vibration, or other sensory output, or allowsynchronized interruption with transmission of audible voice or tones,text, or other sensory output on the primary and/or non-primarychannel(s). Further, this method does not anticipate a user-generatedresponse, either.

These devices currently do not perform encoding and decoding of datainto an alert, notification or message to communicate the same through anon-primary communications channel; that is, they do not have processorsand/or functions that process commands, and then directly passtext-to-speech or allow live text feeds to be interpreted and thenbroadcasted as voice, text, vibration, or other sensory output, or allowsynchronized transmission of audible voice or tones, text, or othersensory output on the primary and/or non-primary channel(s).

Personnel trying to describe an emergency situation over a live PublicAddress (PA) announcement over a siren system and not trained inbroadcasting and/or public emergency message construction andpractices/methods would most likely be very hard to hear and therefore,understand. And these sirens could then also be equipped withreader-boards, Internet Protocol enabled speakers, and/or strobe lightsthat could be coordinated with text messages to direct their activities.

The technology path to tie encoded messages (alert, notification orother message and communication) to decoded messages represents anon-primary communications channel technology that routes and connectspeople together. It should be appreciated that the delivery method fornon-primary channel content could be a) cloud derived and generatednotification and/or message and/or communications directly to one tomany people and/or groups by address, and, b) encoded and delivered to anon-worn local device that provides the derived and generatednotification and/or message and/or communications in the local proximity(low range transceiver and/or wired), decoded and then delivereddirectly to a set of headphones/heads-up display, screen display, etc.,and c) encoded and delivered to a wearer's local device (e.g.,headphones, heads-up display, screen) that provides the decoding andgenerated notification and/or message and/or communications to theuser(s), and d) encoded and delivered to a device such as warningsiren(s) or other audible wireless connected speaker for broadcast.

As an example, an aspect that is apparent is that the wireless headsets(or if implemented as such in the device(s) for the non-person(s) deviceuse case) could also integrate the delivery method device(s) within thewireless headset(s) rather than as an external independent deliverymethod device(s). This would allow direct delivery to the person'swearable alert technology/gear (WAG™) wireless headsets/devices and alsobe used as routers of alert and notification control and/or data and/ormedia and/or response to other wireless person(s)' headsets/devices,and/or also as primary repeaters, and other wireless headsets (ordevices for the non-person case) could act as secondary repeaters ofalert and notification control and/or data and/or media and/or responsewith back-up router responsibility for a fault-tolerant local-network ofalert and notification, and therefore messaging, for multiplepersons(users)/devices on a non-primary channel.

As a further example, sports coaches could benefit from being able tocommunicate play assistance to players during a game. However, noisefrom the game venue could affect the microphone used by the coach,making it difficult to hear and understand what he is saying. Thesemessages could be encoded to be repeated into the headset and thendecoded as voice or displayed as text. An example would be in the

Seattle Seahawks™ where the famous ‘12s’ are keeping both an opposingfootball head coach, and his microphone, from communicating effectivelyto the Quarterback and then the Quarterback from being able to hear thepotentially garbled message in a crucial play. Instead, the coach pushesthe buttons ‘Blue 42’ and ‘Watkins’ as the play and the primary receiverrespectively, and the play is sent wirelessly and encoded, decoded intoa sentence by logic in the headset, and then a text-to-speech conversionis spoken plainly into the Quarterbacks headset. It could even have theCoach's voice as the resident library speaker. Touchdown! At least forthe communication of the play effectively. Games of skill like chess andpoker would also benefit from this, as it allows communication in a morecompatible manner with the game's silent nature.

In another instance of use, such as gaming, a wearer of an enabledheadset (by pushbutton, voice command, etc.) could actually generateeither a voice message or an encoded message and uses a headset featureto generate delivery of the message to others that belong to his ‘LANparty’ (multi-player game with at least one primary audio channel). Thiswould utilize an encoding enabled router function (in the headset, localexternal device including the game itself, or Internet—the so-called‘Cloud’) or a generic router including the initiation of the non-primarychannel code to open the communications pathway. At that point, theinitiating person is alerted the channel is open and they may talk,information is communicated by VOICE, and then the non-primary channelmay close, or be left open to await a response message. The primarychannel could still play audio if desired/configured so that importantinformation or situational awareness is not lost. Or an encoded signalis simply multi-cast to others IN CASE the original message sentexternal to this group by an outside entity was not received. In thiscase, identification of the communication initiation is coded with aunique identifier to avoid multiple notifications of the same message ifalready delivered successfully. Any responses can be paired to theoriginal message or can itself be a newly encoded message. For example,in a game of strategy, John, via the method on the non-primary channel,sends a direct in-game message that warns co-virtual teammates Ted andSally (one in the room and another in a different city) of an aliensneaking up on them in the game, but doesn't alert Sue and Johnny Boy(players on the other team(s)) that are on the same primary channel.This enables a ‘LAN party’ that is then capable of being hosted withthis method but with a secondary channel, or the concept of a ‘LANparty’ within a ‘LAN party’. You could even have multiple non-primarychannels that would allow extension of this concept for multiple‘back-channel’ conversations and exchanging of both text and audibleinformation. The capability for response to a message, either with apushbutton that decodes to ‘understood’ or ‘received message’ to actualvoice response, etc., is also key.

If the person suffers from a disability, say they are deaf, vibrationand/or heat/cold generation, could be utilized as a key technology thatis wearable and could be integrated into a gaming ‘suit’ or piece ofclothing to communicate an analog of the encoded message tied into thedecoding to deliver an equivalent message.

The previous example also has a tremendous advantage for specialoperational forces in the military for situational awareness andstealth. When radio silence is required, audible or sub-audible commandscan be sent to the unit commander's headsets in the field, transmittingkey situational intelligence to and from a battlefield and/or conflict,rescue mission, special ops mission, etc. And, also between members ofthe team. The decoded information gives special information, say duringa raid, in audible cases or as a heads-up text display in night visiongoggles for the key team members to hear and see. In this case, extrasecurity protocols would be layered onto the communications to preventeavesdropping on the encoded messages and/or associated/non-associatedresponses.

A further example of an instance of use would be tele-conferencecollaboration tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc. A participant ina conference call may be a part of, or the liaison between, two groups.For example, a business analyst who helps the technical team and thebusiness team align their requirements into a feasible result. Thebusiness analyst participating in the conference call may want to haveseparate channels to communicate with either group; one through whichonly the technical team can communicate with him and one through whichonly the business team can communicate with him. During the course ofthe conference call, the business analyst may mute either channel suchthat he can say something to the desired team, without the other teambeing able to listen and without interrupting the conversation betweenall the participants through the main channel.

Therefore, while numerous devices and methods for notification and alertare known in the art, none have yet integrated a non-primarynotification and alert method that allows either remote and/or injectionof multiple media (audio and/or visual) based on the systemconfiguration for person(s) and/or device(s). Therefore, there is stilla need for improved systems and methods, such as the method defined inthis patent application that provides notification and alert to membersof local groups, like families with new game technologies, but also,using the same method defined herein, notification and alert to membersof the general public through more established technologies like sirens,strobes, and reader-boards, and even by extension, to InternetProtocol-enabled speakers.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A method and system for communicating and delivering alerts,notifications and messages, to and responses from one to many devices,utilizing one to many non-primary communication pathways enabled, isdisclosed.

Take for example, a grouping of people with wearable devices that arepartaking in a ‘LAN party’. The wearable devices include a primary mediachannel that behaves exactly as intended for that wearable device type.For instance, if a wearable device is a headphone with microphone, theprimary media channel reproduces sound through the headphone speakers.However, the wearable device may also include connection to aspecialized, logical audio router that manages non-primary communicationchannels and ‘cut-ins’ or ‘super-imposition’ functions for the deliveryof alerts, notifications, and messages. When an alert, notification ormessage is sent (via a command type through the communication pathwaythat is processed) then a selected non-primary channel may be activated(or routed to) a wearable device, or set of wearable devices, to callattention to the user(s) that an alert, emergency, notification, ormessage has been activated and sent. The user(s) may then respond, ifthe path is enabled and choose to do so, on the same, or different,non-primary channel with an acknowledgement, command, text,text-to-speech, voice by microphone, or other means. It should beappreciated that the router mechanism is a software process that may belocated internally or externally to the wearable device, allowing verylarge groups of individuals to utilize non-primary channelcommunications interrupt features via the Internet and ‘Cloud’computing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary flowchart of many different methods ofdelivery to a wearable device, as possible given methods of delivery forthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present system in accordance with theprinciples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present system in accordance withthe principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary flowchart of an embodiment of the presentinvention in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present system in accordance withthe principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an overview of one to many people and content delivery viaexternal means in lieu of primary control method.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart for the one to many people and content deliveryvia external means in lieu of primary control method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, wearable devices may use a method 100 of scanning(polling), or waiting to have the media pushed to them in order to beactivated and perform the desired action 102. These actions may includeplaying audio, displaying text, displaying graphics, delivering avibration beeping, flashing, through a smart watch, and other types ofalerts. The alerts may be directed to various users through one commonchannel that every user may listen in to or through separate privatechannels for every user. Users may provide feedback 103-104 afterreceiving a notification. The feedback may also be sent through a commonchannel or through a private channel where only the notification sendercan receive it. The feedback 103-104 may be performed as an activedecision of the user or as an automated response of the device, forexample, GPS position coordinates.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention comprising wearabledevices worn by users 201, 202, and 203 that are connected via a wiredor wireless communication pathway 209 as a primary communicationschannel, as long as a communication path can be established (e.g.telecom networks, cellular networks, radio networks of various typesincluding Bluetooth, Internet (‘Cloud’), Intranet, cable television,satellite, other telecommunications and/or data highway technologies,and/or direct connection with cabled, wiring, fiber optic, and others).In this embodiment, the user (person) uses a piece of wearabletechnology gear, such as wired, or wireless headphones/headsets or otherwearable devices such as ear buds, moldable ear inserts, bracelets,rings, pendants, ear-rings, hearing aids, ankle bracelets, boneconduction methods, vibration, bionics, or virtual reality headsets thatwould allow either audible transmission of alerts (hearing) and/orvisual transmission of alerts (seeing) via images either as overlays ona screen, and/or new screen displays that are images/videos, and/or bothaudible/visual. These alerts could also be non-verbal and non-readable,such as vibrations, shocks, or flashing lights. The alert andnotification delivery method is the method that produces the alert andnotification when it receives the correct trigger via an activationmethod by an automated system and/or manually via another person.

As seen in FIGS. 2-3, the function of managing the alerts, notificationsand messages can happen on the primary network 209, 301 or on asecondary, non-primary communications channel embodied in 302. Thecreation of a secondary, non-primary network within the construct of theprimary communications channel 209, 301 is then processed by means of anaddressable messaging to the various devices belonging to a specificgroup of subscribers. Subscription to a non-primary network may be dueto a sign-up process, teaming process within an online game, automaticaccording to physical location, and/or some other definable attribute ofassociation for the purpose of non-primary communications. If thewearable devices contain secondary, and physical radio channels, orspread-spectrum channels that allow frequency hopping then secondarychannels may be physically constructed rather than virtually constructedby means of just addressing. That is, the primary and non-primaryinstances of communications channels could co-exist, in parallel, ondifferent frequencies.

Addressing, however, is still key in both instances for routing andpairing with possible user responses as in the response path of 206 tousers 201, 202, and 203 through the primary channel 301 and secondaryresponse from 206 to secondary response pathways 302 to a subscribergroup or individual wearable device 201, 202, or 203 or some combinationas appropriate. Secondary response pathways 302 also allow subscribersto communicate with each other in a private manner.

Initiation of control and media 204 or 206 may be remote or local, andby manual or automatic means. The manual means of initiation of controlor media may be a parent calling into an on-line game and initiating arequest to come upstairs for dinner to a subscription group of theparents' two sons. In one instance, the automatic means of initiation of204 or 206 may be a network router informing the same two sons that itis bed time according to a setting for allowed windows of playtime. Inanother instance, the automatic means of initiation of 204 or 206 may bea smoke detector that sends a proximity warning to those gamers (sametwo boys) that a fire has been detected and to exit the house. Furtherembodiments may include non-primary channels 302 through which the meansof initiation may send notifications to select users of the group orusers can privately send notifications to other select users instead ofpublicly through the main channel 301. The manual means of initiation offunction 204 or 206 may be a gamer within the current grouping ofprimary wearable devices calling his teammates into an on-line gameprivate back-line ‘chat room’ and initiating a request via a pushbuttonon his headset or game controller. In one instance, the automatic meansof initiation of function 204 or 206 may be this same user having set atimer function alerting his team to a coordinated attack on a target ina game of ‘Halo™’ with a non-primary channel sounding of a buzzer tosynchronize the attach. It should be appreciated that anyone with a userwearable device 201, 202, and 203 connected to the primarycommunications channel network and in some cases, being a subscriber,may be able to participate in these alerts, notifications and messagingactivities.

The routing, control and then media delivery functions are accessed bythe initiating function of 204 or 206 the via multi-functioncommunications path initiation request, through the primarycommunications channel 209 or 301, or the non-primary communicationschannel 302. This key function allows management of the routingprocesses; setting up non-primary channels through addressing when onlya primary channel exists physically, superimposing text and sound andsensory to wearable devices on the primary channel's media, suppressingthe primary channel's media to deliver a secure non-primarycommunication channel, addressing to the appropriate end users andsubscription groups, and delivering the media in the correct format forthe appropriate wearable device 201, 202, and/or 203 be it sound,visual, audible, text, sensory, graphical, or however the initiationrequest has been constructed. The appropriate wearable devices 201, 202,and/or 203 are delivered the requested media be it to a single end user,example 201, or a subscription group of end users, example 201, 202 and203, and be it on the primary communications channel as an interruptionto just those players and isolated from the primary communicationschannel media, or superimposed to allow the primary communicationschannel o still be heard in the background, or on a virtual non-primarycommunications channel or on an independent non-primary communicationschannel.

In FIG. 4, the routing control function is presented. First, theinitiation request of 204 or 206, for an alert, notification or messageis started 401. These functions may be co-located in a module, hardwareor physically and logically distinct with appropriate interfacing toprovide the key interface to communicate. The initiation request may bereceived locally or remotely. The decision 402 is made on whetherdelivery of notifications will be done through the primary or one of thenon-primary communication channels. If not, 403, then a non-primarycommunications channel is selected, or constructed, and the mediaencoded for delivery 405. A decision is then made as to whether tosuperimpose or suppress the primary communications channel 407, and thendeliver the audio, visual and/or sensory media to the end user in thenon-primary environment as superimposed on the primary channel 408, orsuppressing the primary channel 406. If the decision is made on 402 touse the primary communications channel for delivery, then method 404 isinvoked to deliver the audio, visual and/or sensory media to the enduser in the primary communication channel environment. By modifying theflowchart, however, you could also request superimposition on theprimary channel in addition to suppression.

In a further embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, communication between groupshappens through a primary network 501 or through secondary channels 502and 503. Secondary (non-primary) channels 502 and 503 exist withinprimary network 501 but allow “sub-group” communication between users ofnetwork 501. Sub-groups may be designated, for example, by separatingmembers of network 501 into groups and assigning different group IDs tothe members of each group. Other means for grouping users, such assigning up for a group, requesting access, or based on physical locationmay be used.

As with previous embodiments, addressing allows for routing and pairingfor communications between the user that created the groups 504 and thesecondary channel groups 505 and 506, all through activation device 507.Initiation of communications between user 504 and one of groups 505 or506 may be by means of a software user interface, wherein the user 504may see all the members of network 501, and the group to which each onebelongs. User 504 may select, for example, group 505 and only themembers of that group will be able to listen to what he's saying, whilethe rest of the members of network 501 carry on with the conversation.Further embodiments may include an automatic notification to user 504whenever members of different group simultaneously join network 501, inorder for him to always be able to be present because such interactionsrequire so. For example, every time a minor will engage in online play(the minor belongs to group 505, and everyone else belongs to group506), the parent receives a notification so that he can monitor theminor's interactions online and communicate separately with either theminor or the rest of the players in order to avoid exposing the minor toinappropriate language or behavior.

FIG. 6 shows one to many people and content delivery via external meansin lieu and/or in addition to the primary control method. In particular,FIG. 6 shows one or more Device Users listening and/or viewing to theirrespective electronic devices (e.g., TV, PC, Laptop, Phone, Radio,Watch, etc). Here, the Device users are controlling their respectiveelectronic devices and accessing a cloud-based service for delivery ofmedia/content through the cloud using the electronic Device's internalcontroller and/or the provided cloud interface (e.g., a Smart TV, a Rokubox, etc.) . Users, however, also have a local path to the cloud-basedservice from a cell phone without involving the respective electronicdevices. This way, a user and/or non-user would have indirect controlselections via viewing an external device controller user interface. Theexternal device controller may be a cell/smart phone, a smart watch, avoice remote, a button remote, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device viaa triggered and/or scheduled event action. The instructions for deliveryof media content through cloud-based service API and/or other interfacemethod to the respective listening and/or viewing electronic device tothe local path is done via a local network (e.g., WiFi and/or Bluetooth)connecting to the cloud. Accordingly, the user has a direct control ofthe respective electronic device and of the cloud-based service (DeviceUser); and indirect control of the same via a local third party (DeviceNon-User). It is apparent than that this may be the same person, or therole may diverge into one to many Device Users and one to manyNon-Device Users, though typically one.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart for the one to many Device Users and contentdelivery via external means in lieu and/or in addition of primarycontrol method described in FIG. 6. As a first step of the method shownin FIG. 7, the user of a listening and/or viewing device (LVD) turns onthe respective electronic device using the internal LVD controller. TheDevice User consumes local content from the cloud with LVD. The user mayalso consume cloud generated integrated content as initiated from adevice non-user. The use cases for integrated content vary, for example,the Device User may respond to the prompt of a triggered event thatdisplays a smoke alarm to exit the home and/or a video doorbell forpizza delivery and integrate to the LVD for action by the LVD DeviceUser. This is especially handy if the Device User is wearingnon-cancelling hearing headsets and/or earbuds.

If the Device User does not wish to respond (No) they may reject andcontinue with the session or quit the cloud session altogether. If thereis no interactivity required at that point in the flow logic decisionmaking sequence, then it is interpreted automatically as ‘No’ and ‘Yes”and the cloud session continues uninterrupted and the process starts allover.

If, on the other hand, the Device User, indicates that he wishes topartake and share integrated content, then the Device User may follow alocal pathway or a cloud pathway. In the local pathway, the Device Userresponds via on-screen and/or local remote method including keypadand/or mouse selection and/or audible command until local processing ofcontent delivery service. During local content delivery, the local LVDcan auto-route to cloud processing API and/or interface to provideservice if not available directly in local device for rendering.Moreover, the device non-user may end session at interactive sessionand/or action event session and/or scheduled session at any time, andwith and/or without notice to why to the device user on the LVD.

In the cloud pathway, on the other hand, the user responds via on-screenand/or local remote method including keypad and/or mouse selectionand/or audible command, until cloud processing of content deliveryservice. Cloud menu driven actions include: 1) target-LVD devicespecific listenable and/or viewable message, for example, formatted textmessage and content on an LCD tv, laptop and SmartWatch integrated withusual cloud media content; 2) allowing local LVD user to interface withrequests from the non-user through the cloud. Examples include; a)providing audio for reading the pages of a displayed textbook withgraphics, b) assisting readers with a displayed textbook with graphicson-line questions and/or interactions about content with an input fromthe LVD controller and/or audio input, and score-keeping mechanism, c)making audio/visual comments about a movie inserted while watching LVD,d) providing inter-play comments to the users in a gaming environment.It is appreciated that these may take place with a variety of electronicLVDs (for example Occular® Virtual/Augmented Reality goggles and/orsmart TVs with integrated speakers, and/or a smart TV and a user with aheadset and/or earbuds. After cloud processing of content, in the cloudpathway, the LVD integrated displays from cloud with non-user directedand integrated content; and the device user consumes cloud generatedintegrated content as initiated from device non-user, as previouslydiscussed. At this point, as previously stated, interactivity with theintegrated content may be required, or rejected by the Device User. Theuser may respond, for example to a Non-Device integrated on-screenquestion of “are you ready to turn the page”, or “how many paw printsare on the page” by on-screen, remote device control, or audibly, tocommand back to “turn the page”, or “I count 14 paws” (if capability ofvoice response is integrated), or keys in the response to thelistened/viewed audible session that was integrated. This responsecorresponds to the ‘Yes’ as a response to the integrated content, andthen the Device user continues to consume cloud generated integratedcontent as initiated from a Device Non-User.

Asynchronously (typically) a Device Non-User may turn on the externaldevice controller as a first step, then the Device Non-User may follow alocal pathway or a cloud (content provider) pathway to control the localLVD. In the local pathway, the device non-user selects allowable menudriven actions for the local LVD targeted, and when selected then thelocal processing of content delivery service processes. Local menudriven actions include: 1) target-device specific listenable and/orviewable message, for example, formatted text message and content on anLCD tv, LAPTOP and SmartWatch integrated with local content throughlocal LVD; 2) allowing local LVD user to interface with requests fromthe Non-User and/or the scheduled activity, say a reminder from acalendar, and/or the action event trigger, say from a doorbell (examplesinclude providing to the LVD; a) providing audio and/or video for alocal message, for example, from the video doorbell that the pizza hasarrived, b) routing of a local text message, c) routing of a local phonecall, d) routing of some event such as a fire alarm, smoke detectorand/or burglar alarm (motion sensing alert)); and 3) allowing local LVDDevice User to interface with requests from the Device Non-User throughthe cloud. For example, responding “be there in a minute” to the localvideo doorbell action event and the person who initiated the actionevent at said video doorbell.

In the cloud pathway, on the other hand, the Device Non-User selectsallowable menu driven indirect actions for the local LVD targeted. Cloudmenu driven actions include: 1) target-LVD device specific listenableand/or viewable message, for example, formatted text message and contenton an LCD tv, laptop and SmartWatch integrated with usual cloud mediacontent; 2) allowing local LVD user to interface with requests from thenon-user through the cloud. Examples include; a) providing audio forreading the pages of a displayed textbook with graphics, b) assistingreaders with a displayed textbook with graphics on-line questions and/orinteractions about content with an input from the LVD controller and/oraudio input, and score-keeping mechanism, c) making audio/visualcomments about a movie inserted while watching LVD, d) providinginter-play comments to the users in a gaming and/or sports environment.The cloud command/response is through an API and/or interface untilcloud processing of content delivery service. After cloud processing ofcontent, in the cloud pathway, the LVD integrates the LVD integrateddisplays from the cloud with the Device Non-User directed and integratedcontent; and the device user consumes cloud generated integrated contentas initiated from device Non-User, with listening/viewing and responsesas previously discussed.

It will be apparent for persons skilled in the art that other variationsof these embodiments could be constructed according to the state of theart and the teachings in this disclosure. For example, the routingfunction could combine with other routing functions on separate primarycommunication channels to form super-user-communities, for instance fanclubs in different cities listening to an on-line concert for a famousrock band, and then being able to have communications with the band ifthey win a contest on a private non-primary communications channel for aback-room chat. Also, the ability to combine non-primary groups couldcontinue by forming non-primary groups within non-primary groups, andmany unusual combinations based on subscription and/or communicationsneeds.

The disclosure is not limited to the precise configuration describedabove. While the disclosure has been described as having a preferreddesign, it is understood that many changes, modifications, variationsand other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however,become apparent to those skilled in the art without materially departingfrom the novel teachings and advantages of this disclosure afterconsidering this specification together with the accompanying drawings.Accordingly, all such changes, modifications, variations and other usesand applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention are deemed to be covered by this invention as defined in thefollowing claims and their legal equivalents. In the claims,means-plus-function clauses, if any, are intended to cover thestructures described herein as performing the recited function and notonly structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for alert and/or notificationcomprising: at least one group of wearable media comprising a primarymedia channel and at least one non-primary media channel, said at leastone group of wearable media operatively connected to an activationdevice via an addressable communication pathway, said at least one groupof wearable media comprising a notification protocol; wherein saidnotification protocol is initiated via a command trigger by theactivation device.